In many industrial and commercial establishments, such as stores, hospitals, restaurants, nursing homes, schools and the like, tile, vinyl or concrete flooring is used because of its durability and the ease for which it can be cleaned. However, during the cleaning process, the flooring may remain wet for an extended period of time. If the flooring is relatively smooth, even a small amount of liquid on the flooring may make the flooring slick. One of the most frequent accidents is the slip and fall accident generally due to these wet and slick flooring conditions.
In order to signify that the flooring is wet and that a slipping hazard exists, safety barriers or safety signs are frequently erected. However, these safety barriers and signs are easily circumvented, and often times are circumvented by the public. Furthermore, the safety barriers and signs merely indicate that a hazard may exist, not that there is actually a hazard present. Consequently, once the flooring is dry, the barriers tend to remain in place for a period of time thus losing their credibility and effectiveness. There is presently no automatic mechanism for signifying when the flooring is dry and safe for use. As a result, many people simply ignore the safety barriers and warning signs and walk on the wet flooring.
As the cost to businesses for damage claims for slip and fall accidents increases and as medical costs escalate, businesses are constantly looking for improved ways to warn the public about the existence of wet flooring conditions. There is a need therefore for a warning system which can indicate the existence of wet flooring conditions and which will automatically signify when the wet flooring conditions and the slipping hazards are no longer present.
An object of this invention therefore is to provide a composition which can be used to readily warn the public about the existence of wet or damp flooring conditions.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for indicating the presence of wet flooring conditions.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a composition and method comprising an indicator compound and a basic compound which can be used to signify the presence of moisture or liquid on flooring.
In yet another object of this invention, there is provided a composition containing an indicator compound and a strong base which composition remains highly colored on flooring in the presence of certain liquids and which turns essentially colorless when the flooring is substantially dry.
These and other objects of the invention will now be described in more detail.